Trust
by Perfection Inc
Summary: This is a missing scenes story. I absolutely loved Natasha's and Steve's relationship in The Winter Soldier and this story begins with Steve lying on the river bank after the Winter Solider pulled him bruised and broken from the river. Natasha helps to save him and comes to understand how much Steve trusts her.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a missing scenes story. I absolutely loved Natasha's a Steve's relationship in The Winter Soldier. I ship them so much, but I am not disillusioned in believing they will ever get together in the films. I love stories about those two together, whether it is just in friendship or in a romantic relationship. They are so sweet and I hope that we get to see more of that reflected in the next Avengers Film as well as Civil War. I hope you enjoy! _

"Hill, where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?" Natasha scanned the area, but it was so hard to see with the smoke from the crashing helicarrier filling the air around her.

"The signal is getting scrambled," Her voice was broken in Natasha's ear. "He is somewhere within a 5 mile radius of the crash site." Natasha cursed under her breath.

"Fury!" Natasha pointed towards the river. "Make a circle, we might see him if the smoke clears a little."

She had faith in Rogers, but there was something in the pit of her stomach that made her nervous. They had made their third circle of the area, when Sam tapped her shoulder from the seat behind her. He pointed to the river bank "There!" Natasha could make out a prone figure lying near the river bank.

Fury started scouting a place to land the helicopter while Natasha got on the radio, "Hill, we think we've found him. Get some paramedics, I will send you coordinates."

Fury found a relatively empty parking lot to land and Natasha had already pushed the door open and jumped out before it touched the ground. She took off running as fast as she could in the general direction. She knew Sam would follow.

She crashed through the bush to reach the river bank. She scanned left and right, and then her eyes fell on a figure. She knew it was Steve. She could see his red, white, and blue from the 20 feet distance between them. She rushed to his side and dropped down to meet him. She could see blood seeping through his uniform. "Rogers!" She placed her hands on his face, "Rogers, can you hear me?"

He didn't respond, she checked for a pulse and thankfully found one. She began assessing him as best she could. He had wounds in his arm, leg, and abdomen. He was bruised all over. He had lost a lot of blood, it was seeping into the ground under him and the water was washing it into the river. "Rogers!" She tried to wake him again, but still no response.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around to see Sam staring down at her. "Is he alive?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered shortly. "Help me get him out of the water."

They tried to gently pull him out of the water, but he was heavy. They managed to clumsily move most of him out of the water, but it had caused a moan to escape his lips. Natasha saw that the wound in his abdomen needed to most attention. She put pressure on the wound and Steve cried out and tried to fold in on himself. Sam applied pressure to the wound in his leg.

"Bucky…" Steve said weakly, gritting his teeth.

"Steve, it's Natasha." She said gently as she applied pressure to his stomach. "Open your eyes for me." To her surprise, he obeyed. "That's good. Stay with me. Help is on the way." His eyes were open, but he wasn't really seeing her.

Natasha knew Steve wasn't in the moment mentally. He continued to mumble, but would not respond to her. He soon lost consciousness, and didn't open his eyes again. She counted the minutes until she saw two figures appear out of the bushes.

"Over here!" Sam shouted and stood to wave the paramedics over.

"Ma'am." One of the two paramedics dropped to her side.

Natasha grabbed him by the neck, "Listen to me, carefully." Surprising everyone with her actions, "I don't know if you are loyal to SHIELD or HYRDA, but I am loyal to him." She indicated to Steve, "If you do anything to hurt him, I will kill you. Painfully. That goes for both of you." She shouted to the other paramedic across from her. "Understood?"

They nodded and Natasha released him and let them work. They quickly assessed his injuries and knew that he needed help. It took all four of them to get him on the back board and carry him from the river to the helicopter.

Natasha knew that all of them would not fit in the helicopter, but that was the fastest way to get him to the hospital. Any ambulance would not be able to make it through the horrible traffic that was sure to be on the roads due to the helicarriers crashing into the Potomac.

Fury hid his face as best he could as they loaded Steve into the back of the helicopter. Natasha knew they needed to keep the paramedics from seeing the face of a dead man and quickly knocked both out.

Sam was a little shocked. "Grab that bag." She ordered as she jumped in the back with Steve.

"Yes, Ma'am." He grabbed the paramedic's bag and climbed into the front seat.

There was almost no room for her to sit, so she practically had to crouch over Steve. Her back protested, but she didn't care. It took 15 minutes until Natasha saw the roof of the hospital. Steve had begun to shiver, and she thought he was going into shock. She laid a hand on Steve's chest. She knew he couldn't hear her over the blades of the helicopter, but she said it anyway. "We're gonna get you some help. Just hang on." She instantly felt the lack of a rise and fall of his chest and realized that he wasn't breathing. "Steve!" She shouted as the helicopter touched down.

The remaining door to the helicopter was pulled open and she saw the face of a young doctor staring back at her. "Shit. Is that who I think it is?"

"He's not breathing!" She shouted.

Natasha climbed out of the helicopter and went numb as she watched them load Steve onto a rolling gurney. The young doctor skillfully intubated him and started bagging. Natasha turned to say goodbye, but Fury had already taken off. She and Sam followed the team of doctors and nurses into the building.

Natasha would never be able to burn from her memory the image of the young doctor riding the gurney while doing chest compressions.

They were not allowed to enter the room when they reached the ER. Natasha and Sam stood helplessly and looked through the window. The doctors and nurses rushed around the room, following orders. She watched as they cut off his uniform and she gasped when she could see the extent of his injuries.

She almost felt it herself as they used the defibrillator to shock his heart. She couldn't help but think back to a few days ago, when Steve was standing next to her and she watched the same attempt to save Fury's life. She fought back the tears again, knowing that this was it for Steve. There was no secret plan to fake his death. If he died right now, he was gone forever.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in when she could see on the monitor that his heart was beating on its own. She suddenly became very aware of Sam's presence next to her. "He has to make it." He said quietly, almost to himself.

She said nothing to him and turned back to the window. Her heart almost broke at the sight of Steve's bruised and broken body. She knew he would need surgery, he had lost so much blood. She caught a glimpse of her own hands that crossed her chest and realized that her gloves were soak with his blood. She peeled them off and found her hands were stained red.

The medical team surround Steve worked to get his stable and began to wheeled him down the hallway. The young doctor stopped to speak to them. "We are taking him to surgery. We were able to get his heart beating, but he has some internal bleeding and he has lost a lot of blood. He has several gunshot wounds, and other lacerations. We will know the extent of the internal bleeding once the surgeon gets in there. I want both of you to get checked out down here. Once you have been taken care of we will bring you upstairs."

"Thanks," Sam replied for both of them.

Natasha pulled out her phone and dialed. "Hill, it's me. They just took him up to surgery, how quickly can you get some muscle here?"

"We are already on the way. Should be there in 10 minutes." Hill responded. "Is he gonna make it?" She asked quietly.

Natasha tried to reassure herself as well. "Steve's a fighter."

She hung up and felt a tug at her elbow. "Come on, let's get you checked out." Sam was standing next to her, pulling her into an empty room.

She didn't pay attention to anything around her. She was able to scrub her hands clean of Steve's blood and that had made her feel a little better. She had no cuts or scrapes, but her entire body ached due to the electric shot she had inflicted on herself to disable the corrupted name tag on her chest. After the nurse had given her the ok, she was waiting with Sam as he got some stitches to seal up the cut on his forehead when Maria Hill entered.

"Hey," She smiled. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Natasha answered.

"Just bumps and bruises." Sam smiled back.

"I'm posting these two outside the operating room. She indicated towards the two very large men armed with guns outside the exam room. "I trust these men, so please relax." She didn't say it in an accusatory tone, but as a way to reassure Natasha.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up when I'm done here." Sam offered.

"You sure?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Don't worry about me. Just make sure he's safe."

Natasha decided then that she truly believed Sam was a good person. Not, that she hadn't believed him to be a good person before then. In that moment, she understood that he was one of them. "See you soon."

Once Natasha was satisfied with the two SHIELD agents outside the OR she was escorted into the waiting area. She and Hill didn't speak. They just sat in silence until Hill said "I've got to get back. It's a mad house. Please keep me updated."

Natasha didn't usually show any affection, and this moment was not different, "I will." She replied and watched Hill leave.

Natasha sat for a long time, until she became restless. She made her way to the large windows on the other side of the room. She stood and watched the people several feet below her just going about their day. None of them knew what Captain America had done to save so many of them. Natasha didn't even know the full extent of what happened, but she knew he was fighting for his life at this very moment and it hit her to her core. She had given up her anonymity, but that was nothing compared to Steve losing his life.

She was broken from her train of thought as Sam entered the room. He had a few bandages, but seemed ok. He nodded and found a seat. They kept the silence.

Natasha stood at the window. She stood at the window and watched the sun disappear. She stood at the window and waited.

Finally, another doctor entered the room. "I assume you are here for Captain Rogers?"

"Yeah," Sam rose from his chair. "How is he?"

"He's stable." He began as Natasha made her way to stand near him. "He had some severe internal bleeding but we were able to get it under control. Several of the bullet fragments had logged themselves near his spine. Due to his..uh…_unique _metabolism we had some problems getting most of the fragments out because his body started to heal around the smaller fragments before we could get in there, but we are fairly certain we got them all. He has multiple facial fractures. There is some swelling on his brain, but I fully believe it will reduce and there will not be any lasting damage."

"Can we see him?" Natasha asked.

"We have him in recovery now." He explained. "We will be moving him to a private room once he has been extubated. He is already showing great signs of improvement, so I don't think it will be long. You can wait in the private room if you prefer."

"Thanks," Natasha raised her hand to shake his. He grasped her hand.

"Please know, my Grandfather served in the Second World War and I grew up believing in all the things that Captain Rogers stands for. He is in good hands."

Natasha nodded. "Thank you, again."

"No problem." He smiled and rubbed a hand through his hair. "A nurse should be in shortly to take you to his room. Let us know if you need anything."

As promised, a nurse came in and showed them to a private room. It was empty, but they waited there without the prying eyes of onlookers. It wasn't long before they heard the commotion in the hallway as Steve was rolled into the room. He looked pale, but Natasha watched as his chest rose and fell, under his own power and she sighed in relief.

It took a few minutes to get him settled and all the machines squared away, but when they were finally satisfied he was correctly monitored and comfortable, the nurses headed out. One stopped to explain, "He is being given a constant high doses of pain medication. His body is just burning through it like wildfire." She indicated one of the machines on the side of his bed. "If he seems to be in any pain, just give me a call and we will back."

"Thank you," Natasha replied.

They both just sat and stared at him. His skin had a thin layer of sweat and his face was lax, he showed no sign of waking. They stayed quiet for almost half an hour when Sam shifted in his seat.

"It has been a crazy day." Sam laughed a little to himself.

"Being around Steve, you'll need to get used to days like today." Natasha said it almost without thinking. She would never get used to days when Steve almost died. "Forget I said that." She added quietly.

"I'm sorry." Sam said quietly.

"For what?" She asked.

"I just met the guy," Sam sighed, "and it's killing me to see him like this. But, for you...you have known him for a lot longer than I have. I can only imagine what this is doing to you."

"He's a fighter," Her eyes narrowed. "He will be fine."

"Well," Sam pulled himself from his chair. "I was going to head home and take a shower and change my clothes. Unless you want to head home first?"

"No, go ahead," She replied. She had exposed herself and it would not be safe to go back to her apartment. Not that she would leave Steve until he woke up anyway.

"Can you call me if...you know…" Sam fumbled with his words.

"I'll let you know if anything changes." She smiled back and watched him leave, closing the door softly behind him.

She was finally alone and the silence almost cut her half. She couldn't hold anything back anymore. She grabbed one of Steve's hand gently in hers and rested her head on his hand. She let the tears flow. She hated to cry, she hated how it made her head hurt and her nose run. She hated how crying made her see herself. Weak. She cried until she had no tears left.

She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "You scared me Rogers."

She almost felt it before there was a knock on the door as it opened. She turned to see Tony Stark being pulled away from the door. "Is this a bad time?" He said over the shoulder of the guard preventing him from entering.

"You can let him in." Natasha waved him in.

His grin faded quickly once he saw Natasha, then his eyes found Steve. "Damn. I didn't know it was this bad."

"Yeah." Natasha said quietly. There was no hiding the fact that she had just been crying her eyes out. She was sure they were red and puffy. Any mascara she had applied early that morning was now streaking her cheeks. "What time is it? Aren't visiting hours over? How did they let you in here?" She made her way to the private bathroom and washed her face.

"Oh, it's almost 2AM," He grinned cheekily. "I have my ways of persuasion."

"You sneak past the nurses' station?" She asked as she wiped her face dry.

"Maybe." He couldn't stand still. He was moving all around the room, checking machine readouts. "You alright?" He asked.

"Fine." She replied hollowly. "Better than Rogers." She found her seat again, grasping Steve's hand in hers.

"Hell," He threw his hands up in frustration. "I am terrible at this waiting bedside stuff. Give me something to do. What can I blow up or who can punch? Who even did this to him?"

"That discussion is for another time." She responded, not taking it upon herself to explain the situation. That would be up to Steve who he told about Bucky, and she didn't want to take that away from him. "But I do have something you can do."

"Name it." He jumped at the chance to do something.

"Can you find his shield?" She responded. "It is somewhere in the Potomac."

"Don't worry, Cap." He patted Steve's foot. "I'll get her back for you." He headed towards the door. "Natasha, I'm glad you're ok. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Stark," She smiled back at him, and then he was gone.

Natasha sat in silence for a while. She just sat and watched Steve sleep. She smiled to herself and thought about Coulson when Steve began to stir. He was mumbling and began to breathe heavily.

"Steve," Natasha squeezed his hand a little tighter but he just began to thrash around. Natasha gently shook his good shoulder. "Steve, it's ok." She shook a little harder, "Steve, wake up."

His eye opened, but she wasn't sure he actually saw her. "I let him down.." His face fell into a grimace as he coughed.

"Steve, look at me." Natasha took his face in her hands. "Steve, it's Natasha."

His eyes focused, "Natasha." He repeated quietly. "What happened?"

"You're in the hospital." She chose her words carefully to not aggravate his already troubled mind. "We fished you out of the river, but you're gonna be ok after a few days of rest."

Steve seemed like he finally took in his surroundings. His hand rested on his stomach and he took a shallow breath.

"You in pain?" She asked.

"Yeah." He was usually modest about how much pain he was in, that's how she knew he must really be hurting.

"I'll go get the nurse." She stood to leave, but he held her hand tight.

"Did you see him?" He asked with pleading eyes.

"Steve," She looked back at him. "Don't do this to yourself."

"Please, Natasha." Steve tried to pull himself into a sitting position, but his muscles screamed in protest. He cried out and Natasha pulled her hand free.

"I'm getting a nurse." She left his room and went straight to the nurses' station. She found the same nurse from before. "Can you bring him something for the pain?"

"I'll be right in." She got up and Natasha went back in his room.

"Steve!" She cried, "What are you doing? You'll rip your stitches." He had pulled himself into a sitting position and had pushed the covers away. He was attempting to put his legs over the side of the bed when Natasha appeared at his side. A new layer of sweat had spread over his skin and he was shaking.

"I've got to find him." He said firmly.

Natasha grasped his arm. "Steve, I know you want to help him, but you can't right now. You need to rest."

"No!" He pushed her hand away. Even in his current condition he was very strong.

Natasha held his firmly. "Steve, I know you are a little confused right now but I need you to trust me. You are not strong enough." She looked him in the eyes, "I will help you find him. I promise. Please just lay back down."

Steve just looked at her, processing what she had said.

"Please, I can't lose you." She pleaded.

Steve's face fell and his shoulders relaxed. "You're right." He shook his head and let it drop to rest on her chest. "I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for." She eased him back down.

"Thank you," He smiled weakly at her. She sat back down in the chair next to his bed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She watched him, his eyes now clenched shut and his hand still clutched his stomach. His other hand found hers and he held it tightly. They sat in silence for a moment and then he said, "I was in the water."

"I know," She replied back. "We found you on the river bank."

"He pulled me out." He opened his eyes and look at her. "Part of him is still the Bucky I knew."

Natasha didn't know all the events that took place between Steve and the Winter Soldier so she just let him talk. "He said he didn't know me, but he pulled me out of the water. He saved my life."

Natasha opened her mouth to speak but the nurse entered the room, "Captain, I've got you something for the pain. How you feeling?" She asked.

"I've been better." He responded closing his eyes again.

The nurse had pulled the morphine pump closer and used her key to open the face and unlocked it with her security code. She continued to work as she eyed Steve, "You should be feeling better after I get this going. I'm going to give you something to help you sleep as well." She reprogrammed the machine and loaded the new medication. She locked the face and it began pumping. Natasha let go of his hand as the nurse took Steve's vitals, checked his bandages, and made notes in his chart. She patted his shoulder and said, "Ok, you let me know if that doesn't help and try and get some rest."

"Thank you," He replied. He took a deep breath and winced. "Can you help me sit up? It feels harder to breath laying down." Natasha pressed the button on the side of the bed and Steve groaned as it jostled his wounds, but once he was upright it was easier to breath. "Thanks, Nat."

Natasha just studied him for a minute. "What?" Steve asked as their eyes met.

"You almost died, Steve." She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, but she didn't let them flow. "We almost lost you...and I just…" She felt her words stick in her throat.

"Natasha," Steve said softly, taking her hand in his again. "It's ok, it's all gonna be ok."

"I know, you're healing up already," She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Your politeness and charm have started to grow on me and I'm glad you're gonna be around longer." She gave him a quick smiled and then her emotions were back in check.

"Well," He replied, "Your attitude and wit have started to grow on me, so...I'm glad I'm gonna be around...around for you that is." He squeezed her hand and gently rubbed his thumb over her bruised knuckles.

"That was your one and only time with me." She looked him in the eye. "You don't ever get to scare me like that again." She said firmly.

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled back, feeling the tug of stitches he let his face relax.

"How are those pain meds working?" Natasha studied his face.

"They're helping," he replied, "I don't feel like I am boiling from the inside out anymore."

"Oh," Natasha replied, arching an eyebrow. "That's good." She watched Steve as his eyes began to droop. His breathing became slow and deep, and his eyes eased closed. Natasha stood and eased her lips down to meet Steve's forehead and kissed him gently. His forehead was hot against her lips and she took it as a good sign. His body was working hard to repair itself. Natasha sat by his side, Steve mumbled and moaned in his sleep until the sun came up. He was finally still when Sam returned.

"Morning." He said quietly as he entered the room.

"Hey," Natasha replied. She stretched her stiff limbs.

"How is he?" Sam asked as he handed Natasha a hot coffee.

"Thank you," She took the cup and smiled. "He is doing better."

"Have you gotten any sleep?" Sam asked.

"No, I haven't." Natasha replied simply. "I have no place to go."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I burned all my covers." She smirked, "No hiding place for the Black Widow."

"Here," Sam pulled his keys out of his pocket. "You can go to my place. Feel free to shower and get some sleep."

"If a girl wasn't careful she might think you are just trying to get rid of her?" Natasha raised an eyebrow in jest.

"I doubt there is a person on this planet that could make you do anything you didn't want to do." He raised his eyebrow right back at her. "Besides," He looked into her eyes, "You look like you could use the sleep."

Natasha was sure she looked a mess. She actually would love to take a hot shower and get some sleep, but she also didn't want to leave Steve's side. She studied Sam's face and then looked back at Steve. His skin was already less pale and the layer of sweat was gone. He was soundly sleeping. She knew there were trusted guards outside and that Sam would give his life it meant keeping Steve safe. She also felt a little better knowing Tony was in town if she needed back up. She sighed, "Ok, I accept." She took his keys and put them in her jacket pocket. "Thank you," She called over her shoulder, "I'll try to not use up all your shampoo."


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha stripped off her black suit and let it fall to the floor. She stepped into the hot stream of water and let it wash away the sweat and blood. It helped to ease her aching body. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel. Her mind once again went back to the day before when she and Steve had shown up on Sam's door step. She dried her hair with the towel and thought about how Steve told her he trusted her. She had very few people in her life that she trusted and there were even fewer people who trusted her. She was proud that she could count Captain America on both of those lists now. She had made mistakes in her life, but she had worked hard to make some changes in her life. She knew Steve had affected her. He had the strongest moral compass she had ever seen in her entire life. She wanted to be a better person so she could help him and not let him down. Her phone alerted her from a message from Tony 'I found the shield. Gonna get it cleaned up before returning it to Cap'.

She responded back with a quick 'thank you' and got dressed. She thought Tony had sent her another message after her phone went off again, but it was Hill this time.

'Need you back ASAP. Hearing scheduled for 1300 hours.' Natasha sighed. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

She did not look forward to having a bunch of politicians pointing fingers at her and Steve. She had been in this business long enough to assume that's what was going to happen. With Fury and Peirce gone, she would be the face associated with this incident along with Steve's. She didn't want his name to be tarnished when he had worked so hard to protect this nation and its people. She felt a little more collected by the time she reached the table and spoke into the microphone with more coolness that she expected of herself.

"You're not gonna put me in a prison. You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the best qualified to defend it. So if you want to arrest me, arrest me. You'll know where to find me."

She was running on little sleep, which tended to allow her to be more loosely tongued than she needed to be. She felt like she handled the hearing well and smiled to herself as she made her way past the reporters and cameras. She climbed in her car and made her way back to the hospital.

Natasha could hear Tony and Sam laughing as she made her way around the corner to Steve's hospital room. The door was open and the laughter was creeping into the hallway. Natasha nodded to the new guards posted at the door as she entered.

"Hey fellas," She smiled. "What's so funny?" She eyed Tony, Sam, and Steve. Sam was eased back in his chair beside the bed and Tony was leaning against the window. Steve's bed was upright and he looked much better than she had left him, but he still looked tired. Sam and Tony had been laughing so hard there were tears streaming down their faces, but Steve just had a polite smile plastered on his face.

"Natasha," Tony jumped forward, "What do you think of the new shield design?" Tony smiled and pointed to the other side of the room.

"Tony," She caught herself, Steve's shield was shiny and polished, but in the center was painted a voluptuous pin up girl with very little clothes on. "You've really outdone yourself."

"I think Steve's ears are still as red as they were when I brought her in!" Tony burst out laughing again.

"You got me Stark." Steve locked eyes with Natasha and she couldn't help but feel for him.

"I couldn't resist, Cap!" Tony clapped his hand down on Steve's good shoulder. "Don't worry, a little paint thinner and she will be as good as new!" Steve winced as Tony patted him on the back roughly.

"I'm grateful you recovered my shield." Steve said earnestly. "I would have been sad to lose it."

"You're gonna need her Cap." Tony stated. "You made a lot of enemies. You will have to watch your back everywhere you go now. You too Agent Romanoff."

"That's not something new to me." Natasha replied taking a seat on the edge of Steve's bed.

"You are welcome to use Stark Tower for a safe house." Tony offered.

"Thanks," Natasha replied, "But I do better on my own."

"Suit yourself." Tony looked back at Steve. "What about you big guy?"

"Thank you, but no." Steve smiled back. "I appreciate it though."

"My door is always open." Tony pulled his ringing phone from his pocket. "Hello? What?...Just don't touch anything until I get back!" He hung up and rubbed his forehead. "I've got to get back. My offer stands if you change your mind. Hill has an interview already scheduled. We could make room for you guys…" Tony waited and when no one responded he sighed. "Ok, well, you know where to find me. Get some rest Cap."

"Thank you." Steve extended his hand and Tony grasped it.

"See you later." Tony shook his hand. He grabbed the unopened pudding cup on Steve's lunch tray and left with a smile.

"How you feeling?" Natasha eyed Steve from the foot of his bed.

"Better than I was." He eased his head back against the raised bed. "How's the shoulder?"

"I'm good." She smiled back. "I may not heal as fast as you, but I'm getting there."

"How about you Sam?" Steve turned his head to meet Sam's eyes. "Did we scare you away with all this action?'

"Are you kidding?" Sam leaned forward in his chair. "As long as the action doesn't end up with you in the hospital again, I am cool with it."

"I am grateful for your help." Steve tried to pull himself forward, but his stomach protested.

"Don't get up Cap," Sam stood and extended his hand. "I've got to head back to the VA." He shook Steve's hand and smiled. "I am always available for anything."

"Noted." Steve smiled back. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sam smiled back at Natasha.

"Thanks Sam." Natasha threw his keys to him. "I didn't use all the shampoo, as promised."

"My door is open too." Sam made his way to the door and quietly left. They sat in silence for a moment, then Steve adjusted himself and groaned.

"What did the doctor say?" Natasha asked.

"I'm healing up nicely," Steve replied, "Just taking some time. They said if I am doing better by this afternoon they will let me go tonight, but I have to be on bed rest for a few more days."

"Early release," Natasha smiled.

"Yeah, I am not the best patient. I am very..." Steve pause, "...Impatient, apparently. I am ready to leave this room."

"You've been here one night." Natasha laughed.

"I don't like hospitals all that much." Steve replied quietly.

Natasha studied his face and wondered if he didn't like hospitals because of how sick he was before the serum, but chose not to pry. "Yeah, well, there's a chance you're in the wrong business, Rogers." She patted his leg gently.

"I saw you on the TV." Steve pointed absentmindedly towards the screen mounted on the wall.

"Yeah, well," Natasha shifted, "I don't like politicians all that much." She studied Steve's face. "Things are gonna change because of this."

"Yeah," Steve replied, "I know." He reached for her hand and she grasped it. "At least we are not alone."

Natasha was not prepared for Steve to say that. She was surprised at his genuine care about her. Steve was a good man and that was not the surprising part for her. She was surprised someone like Steve could actually care about someone like her. She had red in her ledger. She felt a stab in her chest but she kept her composure and didn't let it show. She held Steve's hand until he let go to rub his hand over his face.

"Do you mind if I take a nap?" He rubbed his eyes. "I am still a little sleepy."

"Go ahead old man," Natasha stood from the bed and made her way to the door. "I'm gonna speak to the nurse and I'll be back. Get some sleep." Natasha turned back to Steve but could tell he was already asleep.

Natasha closed the door softly behind her and made her way to the nurse's station. There was a different nurse there than the night before. "Excuse me," Natasha asked, "Who can I talk to about Captain Roger's condition?"

"Oh, I can get you someone." The nurse got on the phone and spoke into it rather chippy. "Yes, she is here with me now. Thank you, I'll send her up." She hung up the phone and wrote something down on a slip of paper and handed it to Natasha. "You can head up to his office on the 6th floor, room 103. Dr Beeler."

"Thank you," Natasha headed to the elevator and rode it down and made her way until she found the correct room.

She knocked and heard someone from inside say "Come on in."

She opened the door and found a short balding man with glasses seated behind the desk. "You here about Captain Rogers?"

"Yes sir," Natasha replied.

"Have a seat." He gestured to the seat opposite his desk. "I have to tell you what an honor it has been to help such an iconic hero."

"How is he doing?" Natasha took a seat.

"His vitals are good and he seems to be healing remarkably well." He smiled. "He's something of a fascination for the staff. We don't get to see our patient's do so well so quickly." He locked his fingers together and leaned forward. "He wants to leave. We have advised against it, I feel he needs some more time to be monitored and to have pain medication given constantly intravenously." He sighed, "I wanted to keep him one more day, but he is rather insistent that he be released tonight. I will only do that if I know he will be closely monitored and not left on his own." He looked at Natasha.

"Oh," She replied, "I can stay with him. What do I need to watch out for?"

"Just keep an eye on his temperature. If it spikes, he most likely has an infection and make sure he rests." He scratched the back of his head. "He has shown great improvement, but don't let him fool you, he is still in a lot of pain. Don't let him over exert himself. He needs to come back in a couple days so we can take a look at him. Please call me in you have any questions or concerns." He handed Natasha his business card. "I'll get the nurse to have some pain pills for him, not that I think they will make much of a difference with is high metabolism. I doubt they will do much more than take the edge off, but try and get him to take them anyway."

"Thank you," Natasha took it and stood to go. "I appreciate all the help."

"Good luck," He stood and made his way to the door. "I'll have his release paperwork put together and a nurse will be around at about 5:00 to get him ready to go."

Natasha thanked him again and made her way back to Steve's room. She opened the door and quietly took a seat in the empty chair and watched Steve sleep. Her own eyes were burning from lack of sleep and he could feel the creep of a slight pounding in her the back of her skull, but she pushed it all back. She made sure her phone was on silent and send a message to Maria Hill about security at Steve's apartment. She waited a few minutes until her phone lit up.

'APARTMENT REPAIRED- SECURITY CAN BE PLACED OUTSIDE BUILDING- GIVE ME AN HOUR TO SET IT UP'

Natasha was grateful Steve would be able to go home. Thankfully SHIELD had repaired the damage quickly before the events of yesterday. She messaged Hill back and placed her phone back in her jacket pocket.

Steve began to stir about an hour later. His eyes were scrunched closed and he clutched his stomach as he shifted. Once he opened his eyes and saw Natasha was watching him, he quickly let his face relax. "Hey," He pulled himself up and it didn't appear that he was in a lot of pain. "What's the word on getting out of here?" He tried to grab the cup of water on the bedside table but as he reached for the cup he caught himself and his arm wrapped back around his middle.

Natasha stood and poured him some fresh water and handed him the cup. Steve took a shallow breath and gulped down the water.

"Doc says you should stay here," Steve's face shot up to meet her gaze, "But," She paused, "He said he would let me take you home if you promised to take it easy."

Steve sighed, "Thank you." He handed the cup back to Natasha and eased himself back against the pillow.

"Nurse should be by anytime." Natasha placed the cup back on the bedside table and added. "I agree with the doctor by the way. I think you should stay one more night."

Steve shook his head slightly, "I promise I will heal just as quickly in my own bed than here."

"Yeah, but here has an endless supply of pain medication that will go directly into your bloodstream!" Natasha pointed to the IV stand.

Steve waved his hand, "I'll be fine."

Natasha was about to respond when there was a knock on the door and a nurse came in. "Hi," She smiled. "I have your release paperwork all complete, just need some signatures and we can get you ready to go home."

"Perfect." Steve smiled and quickly signed where the nurse indicated. She turned to Natasha and pointed to where she needed her signature.

"Alright," The nurse grabbed Steve's arm and began removing his IV. "Let's start with this and I will need to check your bandages one more time before you leave." She turned back to Natasha. "You will have to make sure to keep the wound clean and dry. I will send you with some fresh bandages as well so you can change them in the morning."

Natasha smiled, "I'm familiar with changing bandages. Just give me supplies and I'll take care of it."

The nurse proceeded to unhook Steve from all the monitoring machines and checked his vitals one more time. He gritted his teeth through her checking the wounds in his stomach and back but once she was done he smiled. "Thank you for your help."

"Ok, you can get changed and I have your pain medication ready for you." She handed Natasha a plastic bag with supplies and the medication. "You let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you," Natasha took the bag and the nurse left the room. "You have any clothes?" She asked.

"Sam was kind enough to bring me a bag with some things to borrow." Steve stood next to the bed and pointed to a duffle bag under the window.

Natasha made her way across the room and leaned down to pull the bag up and laid it on the bed. "You need some help?"

Steve blushed, "I might." Natasha smiled and opened the bag to find some sweat pants, t shirt, and jacket. She made her way to stand in front of Steve and kneeled down to hold the pants so he could step into them. He was not as steady on his feet as he would have liked to be but he managed to pull his injured leg up and into the first pant leg. He leaned on the bed and pulled his other leg in. Natasha started to pull the pants up, but Steve tried to bend down to pull them up himself, but he grimaced and sucked in a deep breath.

"Just let me help you ok." Natasha pulled the pants all the way up his waist under his hospital gown. "You don't need to be shy around me Steve."

"I can't help it." He face was bright red, but she was not sure if that was from embarrassment or from the pain. She helped him easy off his thin hospital gown and furrowed her brow at the deep bruises still coloring his torso. His right arm was bandaged up from the knife wound and she eyed the shirt and decided to just help him into the zip up hoodie jacket instead.

She rummaged around in the duffle bag and found some house slippers. She leaned down and help Steve step into the flimsy shoes. He was shaking and breathing hard, but his eyes were bright.

"Ok, you are not gonna win any beauty pageants in this outfit, but it will get you home." Natasha teased.

"All I want to do is go home." He started to make his way to the door. Natasha grabbed all the supplies the nurse had given her and any other odds and ends around the room and stuffed them in Sam's duffle bag. She threw it over her shoulder, she placed Steve's shield over her other shoulder and turned to help Steve. He had only made it halfway to the door.

"Come on," She looped her arm around his torso and helped him out of the hospital.

Steve was silent almost the entire trip down to the garage, getting into the car, and the ride to his apartment. Natasha could tell he was hurting. She tried to be as gentle as she could, avoiding any cracks or potholes in the road to prevent the car from being jostled. She even drove the speed limit, which was something she rarely did. She preferred to drive quickly.

Steve's eyes were closed and his head was resting against the seat when they pulled into the parking spot at his apartment. Natasha did a quick sweep of the area and spotted the surveillance car on the other side of the street.

She grabbed the duffle bag and his shield and then opened the door to help Steve out of the car. His head popped up when she opened the door. He let her help him pull himself from the seat and hobbled their way up the stairs. Steve leaned against the wall outside his door as Natasha fished his keys from her pocket. She opened the door and did a quick sweep, dumped the duffle bag on the couch and returned to help Steve into the apartment. He was sweating and slightly shaking, "Bed or couch?" She asked.

"Bed." He mumbled.

She guided him into the back of the apartment and eased him down in a sitting position on the bed. She turned on the bedside lamp and smiled as the light revealed a military made bed. The sheets were tucked tightly and there was not a single crease. Steve was a soldier, through and through.

Steve just sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor.

"What do you want to do first?" Natasha kneeled down so they were face to face. "Eat or sleep?" She could see him trying to decide.

"I would like to lay down, but only for a minute." Steve replied and started to unzip the jacket. Natasha helped him get out of the jacket and ease in back to lay down.

"Let me check your stitches before you go to sleep." She started to peel back the bandage on his stomach which cause him to suck in a deep breathe. "Sorry," She apologized. She could see the damaged skin was trying to heal, it was red and inflamed but it was not bleeding. She put the bandage back in its place and helped him get more comfortable.

"Ok," She started, "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm ok," Steve waved her off.

"Well, then you will just eat whatever I fix you Rogers." Natasha made her way to the kitchen before Steve could protest.

She opened the fridge and pulled some sandwich fixings and put together a sandwich for him and herself. She found some chips in the pantry. She plated the food and found some juice in the fridge. She balanced them in her arms and made her way back to the bedroom.

She laid the plates down on the bedside table and leaned down to wake Steve, but stopped herself. She decided to let him sleep for a bit. She grabbed her sandwich and sat in the chair in the corner and quietly ate her food. Steve dozed for about 20 minutes and then began mumbling. He was dreaming and Natasha could tell it wasn't pleasant. He jerked awake, took in his surroundings and his eyes found Natasha.

"You ok?" She asked eyeing him.

He ran a hand across his face and took a breath. It took him a minute to respond, "Yeah." He tried to sit up on his own but Natasha helped him into a sitting position and pulled his pillows up behind him.

"I made you a sandwich." He accepted the plate of food and dug into the sandwich.

"Thank you," He said after swallowing the first mouthful. "I don't usually allow myself to eat in bed, but I'm too tired to care at this point."

"Geeze, Rogers," She sat back down in the chair. "You really are the American dream aren't you?" She teased him. He didn't respond, but raised his eyebrow. He finished his food and Natasha took his plate from him and headed back to the kitchen to put them in the sink.

She came back to his room. She stood next to the bed and held her hand out.

"What?" He asked.

"Don't you want to brush your teeth?" She questioned.

"Ah," He grasped her hand and replied. "Yes I do." She helped pull him up and make his way to the bathroom. She left him alone while she went back to the bed and pulled down the sheets. Steve came out of the bathroom and shuffled his way back to the bed. Natasha handed him some of the pain medication and a glass of water.

"Don't even argue with me Rogers. Just take them." She watched him swallow the pills and handed the water back to her. She sat it down on the table and helped him back into bed.

"I'll be out front if you need anything. Get some sleep," She turned to leave and Steve grasped her hand.

"Thank you," He smiled at her.

"Get some sleep," she repeated and turned off the light.

Natasha stayed up the entire night. She knew she wouldn't last much longer without any sleep. She told herself she could make it until sunrise and then she would allow herself to take a nap. She checked on Steve throughout the night. She laid her hand on his forehead to check for a fever. He slept soundly, which was surprising considering the events of the past few days.

She kept herself awake by going through Steve's collections of book and records. She took a book off the shelf intending to read it when she heard Steve shuffling down the hallway. "Morning," He yawned.

"How you feeling?" She laid the book down on the table in front of her.

"Stiff," He dropped himself down on the couch next to Natasha, "But I'm feeling better. "

She could see the bruises were starting to fade on his torso and the cuts on his face were now just thin red lines.

"I'm going to change your bandages." She opened the duffle bag and pulled out the supplies to nurse had given her. Steve sat up straighter and began removing the bandages himself. The angry and inflamed wound from the night before looked like it had shrunk half in size. The skin surrounding it was baby pink and fresh. Natasha reached out and ran her hand across the skin without thinking. Steve shivered. "Oh," she pulled her hand back. "Sorry."

"It's still a little tender." He smiled back. "The skin heals faster than the internal damage."

Natasha changed the bandages on his torso and arm. "Lose the pants." She intended on changing the one on his thigh.

"Um," Steve blushed again. "Can we wait on that one? I'm not wearing undergarments."

Natasha laughed. "Undergarments!" She placed the supplies back in the bag. "Whatever you want Cap." She giggled to herself. "Sorry," She apologized when she saw Steve's face. "I don't mean to laugh. I just forget sometimes you're from a different time."

"It's ok," He pulled himself up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. "You want some coffee?'

"No thanks," She pulled her legs up on the couch and threw her hand behind her head. "If you don't mind I'd like to take a nap."

"I'm sorry Natasha." Steve reappeared at the kitchen door.

"For what?" She asked as she fluffed the pillow and placed it under her head.

"I wasn't thinking straight last night." He made his way to her. "You haven't slept throughout all this have you?"

Natasha looked up at him and replied softly, "I didn't get a chance."

Steve stood next to the couch and extended his hand. "What?" She asked.

"Come on," Steve replied, "You can sleep in my bed. It's much better than the couch."

Natasha eyed his hand before she shook her head and placed her head back on the pillow. "Thanks, but I'm good here."

"Natasha," Steve painfully kneeled down so he was face to face with her, "Please." Natasha opened her eyes and saw the concern on Steve's face. "I shouldn't do it, but if I have to, I will carry you in there."

She sighed and pulled herself up off the couch as Steve clumsily pulled himself up from the floor. She headed into the bedroom as Steve shuffled along after her. She immediately went to the undisturbed side of the bed and pulled the covers down. She began fluffing the pillow when Steve appeared at the doorway.

"I'll get you something to wear." Steve made his way to the closet and came back with a t shirt and sweatpants. He threw them on the bed and made his way to the door.

Natasha grabbed his arm as he past her, "Thank you." She whispered.

"Get some sleep." He leaned towards her and kissed the top of her head.

Natasha went stiff and sighed. She wasn't used to genuine displays of affection like that, especially from people like Steve. "Wake me in a few hours."

Steve nodded and closed the door behind him.

She striped her clothes off and pulled Steve's clothes on. She crawled into the bed and buried her head in the pillow. Sleep overtook her instantly.


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha slowly became aware of her surroundings. It was dark. There was no light coming from behind the curtains and it took her a minute to remember she was not in her own bed. She took a deep breath and suddenly realized that there was a strong arm wrapped around her. She tried to stay relaxed as she slowly turned her head and saw it was Steve's arm that was tightly wrapped around her middle. His face was firmly pressed into the crock of her neck and she could feel each breath he took. He was having a nightmare, she realized that was what had woken her.

Steve was mumbling in his sleep. He was gripping her tighter and his breathing became ragged. Natasha was so caught off guard she didn't know what to do. She didn't know why Steve was in bed with her or how long she had been asleep. Steve began trembling and gripped her tighter. Natasha decided to snake her hand into his and gently peeled his arm up so she could turn to face him. She could see tears glistening on his cheeks.

She gently placed her hand on the side of his face and quietly soothed him. "Shhh," She whispered. "It's alright. You're safe." She didn't know what demons he was facing in his dreams, but her soothing words seemed to calm him down. His breathing eased and he stopped trembling. She studied his face and moved her hand away from his face. Steve shifted slightly in his sleep and nuzzled closer into her neck. Natasha made a decision to let Steve hold her close. It wouldn't do any harm and she and Steve had gotten closer during the events on the past week. She let herself ease into him. Natasha didn't know how long they stayed that way, she had drifted back to sleep. She opened her eyes and felt Steve stiffen next to her.

Natasha opened her eyes to meet his. She almost laughed to herself when she saw the almost terrified look in them. He didn't speak until he saw she was awake. "I'm sorry." He untangled himself from around her and rolled onto his back. He was stiff and sore and didn't move with as much ease as he normally would have.

Natasha stretched herself and rolled onto her back switching on the lamp on the side table. "You want to tell me what happened?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"You were supposed to wake me up." She rolled over to face him.

"I tried." He said, almost defensively. "You were.." He cleared his throat, "..um...you were sleeping pretty hard." He rubbed his jaw. "You've got a mean swing."

Natasha's head snapped up, "Did I hit you?"

"It was more of a slap," Steve explained.

Natasha laughed as she covered her face, "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No," He chuckled back. "I think you did insult my mother though. I can't be sure, I don't speak Russian." Natasha continued to laugh.

She looked at him and asked, "How did you end up in bed with me?"

"Oh," Steve blushed. "I uh...I took some pain pills after you went to bed. They didn't really do much for me. So I took some more."

"How many did you take?" Natasha pulled herself up and threw the blankets back.

"About half the bottle I guess." Steve replied.

"Steve!" Natasha cried.

"I know," Steve rubbed his hand through his hair.

"Did they help?" She asked.

"Yeah," He chuckled. "I guess." He cleared his throat and furrowed his brow. "After I tried to wake you up ... I took a shower...and that's when I took the pills…I don't remember much after that."

Natasha climbed out of bed and fished her phone from her jeans pocket. She eyed the time, "Damn." It was nearly 1:00am. "I didn't mean to sleep this long."

Steve pulled himself up and winched, he clutched his bandaged stomach. Natasha headed into the bathroom, "How you feeling now?"

"I'm getting there," He sighed as he pulled himself to the side of the bed. He grabbed the glass of water that was next to the bed and gulped it down.

Natasha came out of the bathroom and stood in front of Steve. "Let's see how you are healing up." Steve let her peel back the badly wrapped bandages that he attempted to put on himself after his shower.

The wound in his stomach was almost completely closed. It was still deep purple in the immediate area of the exit wound and surgical incision, but the larger area had already turned a pale shade of green that indicated it was healing. The wounds in him arm and leg looked about the same.

He let her wrap new bandages around the wounds and she found the bottle of pills. She dropped a few pills into his hand. "Here's hoping this is enough medicine to help knock out the pain but not enough to knock you out." She grabbed the empty glass and took it into the bathroom and filled it with water from the sink. She returned it to Steve and watched him wash them down. "Thanks." He moved to the closet and pulled out a clean shirt and struggled to pull it over his bruised body.

"Man I'm starving!" Natasha exclaimed. "You want a pizza or something?"

"Yeah, there are take-out menus in the kitchen." Steve replied.

"You in the mood for anything?" Natasha called over her shoulder as she made her way to the kitchen.

"No," Steve called behind her. "Whatever you want is good."

Natasha found a stack of take-out menus stacked on top of the microwave. She was looking over one when Steve appeared in the kitchen. "I've been encouraging myself to try new foods. Take out is a good way to do it. I can eat it in the comfort of my own home without a bunch of people staring at me eating alone." Steve smiled. He meant for the statement to be funny, but it made Natasha sad for some reason. The idea of Steve being alone all the time, not even having anyone to go to dinner with, even just as friends.

She thought back to their conversation on the way to New Jersey. Steve had just told her she could be his friend. She finally understood, at 1:00am dressed in his clothes that were too big for her, bathed in the florescent light of the kitchen that Steve had really been alone ever since he had been thawed from the ice. He may have been in the company of other people, but he was truly a man out of his time.

She laid down the menu and took both of Steve's hands in hers and looked him in the eyes. "Steve," She said quietly. "This may sound strange but I'm going to say it anyway."

"Ok," He eyed her with a smile.

"I know that I haven't been the best partner for you in the past. I know that you haven't had the easiest time adjusting to your situation and that I didn't always take that into account when we were working together. There are things that I have done that if you knew them, you probably would be disgusted to even look at me.."

"Natasha," Steve cut her off.

"Let me finish," She snapped. "I want you to know that I am trying to be a better person. I don't have many people I care about and the list of people that care about me is even shorter, but I want you to know that I would do anything to help you. I am going to be a better friend to you."

"Natasha," Steve placed his hand on each of her shoulders. "You don't have to work so hard to prove yourself. We have all done things we are not proud of, myself included, but I can see that you are trying. That's what matters most that you are trying. I hope you count me on both of those list because I care about you too." She looked at the floor. "Hey," He pulled her chin up so she would look at him. "You may be stubborn and annoying sometimes, but I really do care about you."

Her eyes began to burn and she felt a tear run down her cheek. Steve gently rubbed his thumb across her face to wipe it away. "Hey now," She allowed him to pull her close into his chest.

She felt her arms loop around him almost involuntarily. She hugged him tightly for only a moment and then pulled away. "Thank you Steve." She wiped her eyes dry and returned to the stack of take-out menus. "Now," She began. "What's something new you want to try?"

Steve leaned on the counter and crossed his arms. "How about you pick? I will eat whatever you pick out for me?"

"Are you really that brave?" She teased.

"No," He replied, 'But I trust you."

_The end. _


End file.
